Grapple



oct. 26, 194s.

w. R. GIRNUs GRAPPLEA Filed Der:`

Patented Oct. 26, 1948 lUNITED STATES PATENT O'l'iFICl.

v y l 2,452,452". i f

yGRAPPLE Walt Girnus, Spokane, Wasli.` l Application December 3, 17945,*seria1-N0. 632,351

This invention relates to a grapple and it is one object of the invention to provide a grapple which is used with a crane of conventional construction for lifting large and heavy objects from `a scrap pile and loading them into a freight-car lor a truck or other conveyance.

One object of the invention is to provide a grapple wherein companion members having article engaging hooks at their lower ends are pivoted together in such a manner that they will normally be disposed in opened position and thus allow them to be lowered into position for engaging an article to be lifted, the members being then swung towards each other to a position for gripping the article and pulled upwardly by a cable to lift the article and move it into position for deposit in the car or vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide the improved grapple with article engaging members having Shanks which are bent near their upper and lower ends So that the cable for carrying the grapple may have branch cables attached to the Shanks at the upper bends thereof and the grapple caused to have a tendency to swing to an opened position.

Another object of the invention is to provide the Shanks with pulleys so arranged that when pull is exerted upon a cable trained about the pulleys the article engaging members will be swung to a closed position and prevented from opening while an article gripped between their hooks is being transferred from a pile to a position over a car or truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grapple consisting of companion article engaging members which are very strong and capable of withstanding rough usage.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved grapple.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the grapple closed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the article engaging members provided with cross heads and hooks of a modified formation.

This improved grapple or grab hook consists of companion article engaging members i and 2, each of which has a shank formed from a bar of strong metal. The shanks are bent in spaced relation to their upper and lower ends to provide end portions e and 5 which extend inwardly, the upper portions extending at right angles to the main portions of the bars or Shanks and the lower `portions being disposed at a downward incline.

11g Claim. (ci. zei- 112) Thei'inwardly' extending upper portions of the Shanks terminate in-hinge-ears 6 and 1 through which a pin 8 passes to pivotally connect the Shanks of the two article members and pivotally mountthe article engaging membersfor movelment from the lopened positionvas `shown in Figure 1 to the closed position shown in Figure 2. Eyes 9 project outwardly from the Shanks at the upper bends thereof and through these eyes are secured lower ends of branch cables l0 carried by a ring ll at the outer end of a cable l2. The cable will be of suitable length and wound upon the usual drum of a crane (not shown) and when the cable is wound upon the drum the grapple will be raised and may then be shifted to a position over a freight car or truck. The fact that the Shanks or bars 3 are bent as Shown causes them to normally extend in the position Shown in Figure 1 and the grapple will be normally open and may straddle an article to be lifted when lowered into a pile of scrap material.

At their lower or outer ends the two bars or Shanks carry cross heads I3 which project equal distances from opposite sides of the Shanks and carry teeth I4. These teeth are spaced from each other and are curved longitudinally, as shown in Figure 2, so that they may engage under or have good biting engagement with an article to be lifted. The grapple shown in Figure 3 has its cross .heads l5 formed with teeth I6 which are at ends of the cross heads and extend above and below the cross head, the teeth being curved longitudinally and cooperating with each other to form arcuate jaws capable of firmly gripping a log, pipe, or the like from opposite sides and holding the same between the article engaging members while it is being lifted and transferred to a car or bus.

The article engaging members are moved to a closed position by means of a cable I1. This cable is wound upon a drum of the crane and extends downwardly from the upper or outer end of the crane and between the hinge ears 6 where it engages a pulley I8. After engaging the pulley I8 the cable is trained about pulleys I9 carried by the Shanks so that it extends back and forth between the Shanks and the lower end of the cable is Secured to an eye 20 carried by the shank of the article engaging member 3. When pull is exerted upon the cable l'l the two article engaging vmembers will be drawn towards each other to a closed position, and by properly manipulating the cables l2 and Il the article engaging members may be held closed while an article gripped between them is lifted from a pile and transf twisting of the cables i2 and Il and spinning of y the grapple and its load.

Having thus described the invention, what is l claimed is:

A grapple comprising arms formed of 'metal bars having inwardly bent upper and lower end portions, cross heads at lower ends of said arms projecting from opposite sides thereof, teeth earried by said cross heads and spaced from each other longitudinally thereof, hinge ears at upper endsv of said arms `pivotally connected and mounting-the'arms for swinging movement to opened and closed positions, eyes projecting outwardly from inner ends of the bent upper end portions of said arms, a lifting cable over said vNumber arms having branch cables extending from its lower end and secured to said eyes, a pulley rotatably mounted between hinge ears of one arm, pulleys carried by said arms in spaced relation to their bent upper and lower end portions, an eye carried by one arm adjacent the pulley intermediate the length thereof, and a cable for moving the arms to a closed position extending downwardly in engagement with the first pulley and Lthen passedfback and forth between the arms in engagement with the second mentioned pulleys and secured at its lower end to the eye intermediate the length of the last mentioned arm whereby pull upon the upper end of the cable will close the arms.

WALT R. GIRNUS.

REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

l UNlTED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1 435,339 Hunter Sept. 2, 1890l 2,166,854 Bartlett July 18, 1939 Kamppi Apr. 14, 1942 

